


Unmapping the Future

by atimefordirewolves



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atimefordirewolves/pseuds/atimefordirewolves
Summary: Renesmee Cullen is now 16. For as long as she can remember, everybody has believed her future is set in stone; but what if she chooses a different path? What if, like her mother, she decides to break expectations and follow her heart?
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan, Jacob Black & Renesmee Cullen, Jacob Black/Leah Clearwater, Seth Clearwater/Renesmee Cullen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Unmapping the Future

It was a normal October afternoon in Forks. Cold, windy, and rainy. 

Renesmee Cullen was stood outside of Forks High School, chewing away on a pack of Red Vines and irritably talking down the phone to her mom. Now that she was sixteen (officially, by years as opposed to simply how she 'looked in maturity')(a statement which had always made Renesmee retch internally), her parents seemed to have snapped into 'overly protective' mode. Apparently being surrounded by literal vampires for family, and literal werewolves for friends, did not guarantee safety (not to mention a Police Sheriff for a grandpa). 

"Mom, I _told_ you I'd be late home today!" Renesmee repeated down the phone, exasperation tingeing her voice now. "I have a Science presentation to work on, and Lydia needed my help."

There was a pause as her mother probed with more questions. 

"Yeah, I'll call you when I'm on the way home, I promise. Now can I go back into school so I can _pass_ High School the first time round?... Yeah, yeah. Love you too Mom."

Renesmee rolled her eyes and stabbed the red 'End Call' button on her phone screen just as a blue truck pulled into the car park, screeching to a halt in front of her. 

"About time, I'm getting soaked here!" she yelled, rushing forwards into the truck. "I would offer you a Red Vine, but I ate them all because you took _so long_."

"Sorry, Nez. Pack stuff." 

"I'll forgive you this time. Anyway, drive, get me out of here please..."

Seth Clearwater grinned and stamped down on the gas. 

* 

For as long as Renesmee could remember, the Quileute wolf pack had been around. They were her playmates, her protectors, her siblings, her family. Whilst her vampire family had no need for food in the fridge, her grandmother Esme kept it well stocked for the wolves; and there was _always_ at least one in the house.

Jacob Black in particular was always around; while the other wolves were more than welcome to crash in the spare bedrooms upstairs, Jacob had his own designated room. Jacob was her mother's best friend, and as she had got older Renesmee had begun to notice just how much Jacob brought out Bella's jokey, childish side. Bella was always so much more fun to be around when Jacob was there - and so was her father, come to mention it. Renesmee knew Edward had once hated Jacob, but the two men who would frequently sit up into the early hours yelling at Fortnite showed zero signs of animosity. Jacob equalled fun. She was always glad to have him there. 

It was only when Renesmee was about twelve that she was slowly told of the unpleasant history between her vampire family and wolf family - how they had once hated each other, and quite literally would have destroyed one another were it not for her birth. And, on top of that, the fact that Jacob had imprinted on her. 

Renesmee knew that imprinting was a big deal. Sam and Emily Uley were married due to Sam imprinting on Emily, and the same went for Jared imprinting on Kim. Imprinting was a rare and wonderful thing, her parents had been keen to stress to her. It meant that Jacob would always be there to look out for her, to protect her; and in turn, she would love him like nobody else. And they had been right. Renesmee _did_ love Jacob - she always loved it when he was around, and as a child had loved going on adventures when he was in wolf form, riding on his back across the mountains. Now she was a teenager, Jacob was much more like the older brother she complained to, who would indulge her in listening to the stories she knew her parents would only pretend to want to hear. 

She couldn't imagine how her family had once hated the wolves.

When she saw Uncle Emmett and Aunt Rosalie going hunting with Seth and Leah, the idea that they had all hated each other once made no sense. When she saw Quil and Embry helping Grandma Esme make dinner (which, admittedly, they would be the only ones to eat), it was baffling to know that sixteen years ago they would have thrown the food in her face. And when she saw Jacob asleep on the sofa, it was confusing to know that the face of deep affection Edward made when covering Jacob with a blanket would have once been one of jealousy and hatred. 

And for as long as the wolves had been around, Renesmee had always had one best friend in particular. And that best friend was and always had been Seth. 

*

"Oi! _Nez_ , what is _up_ with you today? I'm playing Red Hot Chili Peppers, and you aren't even singing along!" Seth's tone was one of mock hurt, and he nudged her with his elbow, grinning sideways at Renesmee as he kept his eyes on the road. 

Renesmee yawned and stretched her legs, leaning her Converse-clad feet on the truck dashboard. "Sorry, bud, I just... it's been a long day."

"Science presentation kicking your butt?"

"Oh come on, you know that was just an excuse to tell Mom and Dad. It's just lucky Dad and Aunt Alice don't invade my brain anymore - teenage privacy or something - or I'd be dead meat in seconds."

"Maybe they still do and just don't tell you."

Renesmee shrugged. "Eh, they can't call me out on anything though, because I hold the trump card - child trust violation."

They were silent for several more minutes as the trees thinned out and the road into La Push opened up. Seth didn't need to ask Renesmee where they were going. Whenever she called saying she needed to clear her head, there was only one place they went and that was La Push beach. 

The rain had thinned to a misty haze as Seth parked up the truck, and Renesmee promptly hopped out, shoving her jacket hood up against the rain as she headed towards the beach path. Seth was calling her name behind her, and she heard the thud then crunch of his boots on the path then the sand as he followed her - but she didn't stop. Instead, she started kicking at the sand, swearing under her breath.

"Whoa whoa whoa," Seth had caught up with her, and was grabbing at her arm. "Nez, what's going on?"

Nez. He was the only one who called her that. 

Renesmee felt the irritation she had been feeling for months now bubble underneath her skin, and growled through her teeth. That was a mistake; it caused the venom sacks in her mouth to open, and her mouth was dripping with the stuff. Yet more irritated, she turned her head away from Seth and spat onto the sand, wiping her mouth. 

"Y'know, for a girl who drinks blood daily, you do a good job of making me forget you have that vampire venom in you," Seth said conversationally, falling into step beside Renesmee as she slowly meandered along the beach. 

He was being typical Seth. Making bouncy, happy conversation. It was both Seth being Seth but also somewhat of a tactic; it annoyed you into confiding in him. 

"Do you ever feel... trapped?" Renesmee asked suddenly. 

"Trapped? How do you mean?" 

"I mean..." Renesmee sighed loudly, spreading her arms wide. _C'mon Renesmee_ , she thought to herself. _If you can't be honest with your best friend, who **can** you be honest with?_ "Do you ever feel that your life's just... mapped out in front of you? That you don't _have_ the same freedom other people our age do?"

Saying 'our age' was rather inaccurate, and Renesmee knew it, but it just wasn't possible to think of Seth as almost 30. His phasing meant he looked 18 (and a bright eyed, young 18 at that - where the other Quileute wolves had become muscled tanks, Seth was still strong in the lean and tall sense) and to an extent he still behaved like an 18-year-old. He was very much the baby of the pack, like Renesmee was the baby of her clan; both had ages that didn't quite match their physicalities, and both had grown up in, frankly, thoroughly weird environments.

"I guess that things like college weren't an option for me," Seth shrugged. "But you know I've never seen it like that. I have things to do here; I'm needed here. And without _me_ , your life would be dull as balls!" He poked her in the ribs, and Renesmee cracked a smile. 

"But... you never felt like you were being _forced_ to go a certain way?"

"Nez, can you do me a favour? Explain what you're talking about here."

They had stopped walking, and Renesmee plonked herself down on a damp log of driftwood. Without hesitation, Seth sat down next to her, pushing his long hair out of his eyes as he looked at her with concern. Seth's hair was almost as long as Renesmee's these days; black where hers was bronze, straight where hers was wavy. She was filled with the overwhelming desire to reach out and feel how soft it was, but shook herself. _Get a grip Renesmee_. 

"I just... OK." She turned slightly to look at Seth. "It's the imprinting thing. It's overwhelming, Seth. I know it's an important thing for all of you, and I'm not trying to talk it down - you _know_ I love Jake, and if I had to pick anyone to imprint on me, it would be Jake, every single time." Her eyes were shining slightly, shining in the way only those with an imprint bond could talk about another person. "But it feels like so much _pressure_."

"It feels like your life is already dictated for you?" A shadow seemed to have passed over Seth's face. She knew he hated seeing her in pain. 

"Yeah, exactly." Renesmee physically sagged. "I'm sixteen now, and Mom and Dad keep giving me a... _look_ when I'm with Jake. And I just feel like everyone's _waiting_ for me to fall in love with him, and... this is _my_ life, but I don't feel I have any control of it."

Seth paused. "Do you love Jake?"

Renesmee nodded. "Beyond words, Seth. But... I love Mom and Dad beyond words too. I love Jake, but I'm not _in love_ with him. And it feels like every passing day is one more day where my family is raising their eyebrows, waiting for _that_ to happen."

Seth was silent for a moment, the sea breeze tangling his long hair. He was gazing off beyond Renesmee, clearly lost in thought as he tried to think of what to say... Renesmee had never _really_ noticed just how beautifully dark his eyes were before... 

"I say you're your own person, Nez," Seth said finally, putting an arm around her. "Make the decisions _you_ want to make, and don't feel tied into any weird supernatural thing... I know, ironic coming from me," he added as Renesmee started to laugh. "And I'm always here if you want to talk."

"I know," Renesmee said quietly, and swivelled to slip her arms around his waist. She tucked her head against his chest, the heat radiating from him burning through both of their jackets. It was a Seth thing, and had been a comfort to her for as long as she could remember. Seth hugged her back, fitting his chin over the top of her head, and in that moment Renesmee felt every piece of tension leave her mind. Nothing mattered except her best friend, the anchor throughout her whole life. 

"You need to get home," Seth whispered, giving her one final squeeze and standing up. "I'll give you a ride out of the Rez."

His jacket was blood red against the dark sand, his smile and eyes as familiar to Renesmee as the room she had grown up in. His hair had been long for years now, twisting and turning in the breeze, and she had always thought his russet skin was warm and beautiful. 

Yet somehow, in a way she couldn't understand, Renesmee suddenly felt as though the world had turned on its axis. Everything she knew and understood was suddenly upside down, in a way she couldn't pinpoint.

Confused, Renesmee followed Seth to the truck, wondering _why_ she was suddenly mesmerised by the way his hair moved in the wind.


End file.
